About the Role
We're looking for a Buyer Manager to lead our buying team through every launch on the calendar. You'll own the buy end to end — assortment planning, quantities, size curves, vendor negotiation, and delivery — across approximately twelve launches per year.
Just as importantly, you'll lead people. You'll manage a team of six spanning Junior Buyers through Senior Buyers, and a core part of this job is growing them: teaching the craft of buying, sharpening their analytical instincts, and building the kind of bench strength that lets people advance into bigger roles here.
This is a strong fit for an experienced buyer who is ready for their first management seat. We are not requiring prior people-management experience. We are looking for someone with real buying depth, sound judgment, and a genuine interest in developing others — and we'll support you in growing into the leadership side of the role.
What You'll Do
Own the Buy
- Lead the buying process for approximately twelve launches per year, from initial concept through delivery to the warehouse.
- Build and finalize buy quantities by style, color, and size, balancing newness against proven performers.
- Set and manage size curves across our extended size range, using sell-through data to refine depth by size over time.
- Partner with Design and Production on the seasonal calendar, holding buy deadlines that protect on-time launch dates.
- Manage the open-to-buy budget, flagging risk and opportunity early rather than at the end of the season.
Plan the Assortment
- Own assortment planning for each launch — category mix, price architecture, style count, and the balance of core, seasonal, and fashion-forward product.
- Analyze historical sell-through, margin, return rates, and customer feedback to inform what gets bought, repeated, or retired.
- Identify white space in the assortment and bring forward opportunities backed by data and market research.
- Build and present the assortment plan and post-launch recaps to leadership, with a clear point of view on what worked and what didn't.
Lead and Grow the Team
- Manage a team of six across Junior Buyer, Buyer, and Senior Buyer levels — setting priorities, reviewing work, and holding a high bar.
- Mentor deliberately: teach assortment logic, negotiation, and data interpretation so team members build judgment, not just execute tasks.
- Create development paths for each team member, with clear skill milestones that support promotion into more senior buying roles.
- Run regular one-on-ones, deliver honest and useful feedback, and own hiring and onboarding as the team grows.
- Delegate meaningful work — including stretch assignments — so the team gains reps on the parts of the job that advance careers.
Manage Vendors and Timelines
- Own relationships with overseas vendors and manufacturing partners, including negotiation of pricing, minimums, and terms.
- Manage production and shipping lead times across international supply chains, building calendars that account for realistic transit and customs timing.
- Resolve delivery discrepancies, quality issues, and delays, escalating with urgency when a launch date is at risk.
- Evaluate landed cost — including freight, duties, and tariffs — and protect gross margin targets on every buy.
- Source and vet new vendors to expand capability, improve turnaround, or reduce cost.
Build Better Process
- Own and continuously improve the buying team's processes, templates, and documentation — from PO workflows to sample tracking to vendor records.
- Maintain accurate demand and replenishment planning in Sage Inventory Planner, using it to drive reorder timing and stock coverage decisions.
- Keep product, vendor, and SKU data clean and current in Shopify and Asana so the rest of the business can rely on it.
- Establish reporting the team and leadership actually use — sell-through, in-stock position, vendor performance, and margin by launch.
- Partner with Marketing, E-commerce, Warehouse, and Finance to make sure every launch is supported, stocked, and on budget.
What You Bring
- Buying experience. Several years of hands-on buying, merchandising, or assortment planning experience — ideally in apparel, fashion, or a comparable consumer product category. Prior people-management experience is not required.
- Assortment judgment. A demonstrated track record of making buy decisions and owning the results, good and bad.
- Analytical strength. Fluency in sell-through, margin, inventory turn, and forecasting, with advanced Excel or Google Sheets skills.
- Overseas vendor experience. Direct experience managing international vendors, production lead times, and the realities of global shipping.
- Sage Inventory Planner. Hands-on experience with Sage Inventory Planner, or comparable demand planning and inventory forecasting software.
- Shopify and Asana. Working proficiency in Shopify and Asana, plus Google Workspace.
- Process orientation. A genuine interest in building repeatable systems — you notice when something is being done inefficiently and you fix it.
- A desire to lead. Evidence that you enjoy teaching and developing people, whether that came from formal management, training peers, or mentoring junior team members.
- Fashion instinct. Real interest in women's fashion and consumer trends, and a point of view about where the market is heading.
- Communication. Clear, professional, and direct — with vendors, with your team, and with leadership.
Nice to Have
- Experience buying for extended sizing and managing size curves across a broad range.
- Background in a direct-to-consumer or e-commerce-first brand.
- Experience in a high-launch-cadence environment with compressed seasonal calendars.
- Familiarity with landed cost modeling, tariff codes, and international shipping terms (FOB, DDP, CIF).
- Experience hiring, onboarding, or building out a team from a small base.
What Success Looks Like
In your first 90 days:
- You know our customer, our categories, and our best and worst sellers — and can explain why each performed the way it did.
- You've met every vendor of consequence and know where our supply chain is strong and where it's fragile.
- You've had real conversations with all six team members about where they are and where they want to go.
By the end of your first year:
- Launches are landing on time, in the right quantities, and at target margin.
- The buying team's process is documented, consistent, and no longer dependent on any one person's memory.
- At least one member of your team is measurably closer to their next role because of how you've developed them.
WHY BALTIC BØRN
- A founder-led brand where your decisions visibly move the business — no committee between you and the outcome.
- Monthly employee appreciation activities and a team that genuinely likes working together.
- Generous employee discount on product.
- Flexible approach to work-life balance.
- Real ownership of a function that sits at the center of the company.